Character in Leadership

        The late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged his followers not to judge people by their appearance, but by the content of their character. A person's character, good or bad, can inspire others to greatness or discourage them from trying. In small business, the role of leadership character can't be understated. Authentic leaders lead from a strong, personal, moral value that can have a profound effect on your organization. You need to understand how character affects your organization and how it can attract top performers.

EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP 4.

.

Was it The Coach or The Players?

Personal and organizational effectiveness is proportionate to the strength of leadership- John Maxwell.

                Many a time I become confused when I observe the game of football and its team. I sometimes could not understand why the coach has to be sacked when a team keeps loosing. I used to ask myself, was it the fault of the coach that the team didn’t win? The coach isn’t playing, why not blame the strikers, the middle fielders

10 Entrepreneurial Qualities You Must Possess to Succeed

1. Listening and Communicating Well

If you aren’t a good listener and communicator it will result in miscommunications and wasted time, not to mention added work to correct the miscommunications. Time is one thing that all entrepreneurs would like more of. How often have you wished there was more hours in a day? Avoid wasting priceless time repeating and redoing tasks due to poor communication

16 Traits You Need to Be a Great Leader

1. Intelligence and Action-Oriented Judgment: Great leaders and smart and make choices that move the group forward.


2. Eagerness to Accept Responsibility: Strong leaders take on responsibility and don't pass the blame on to others.


3. Task Competence: A great leader is skilled and capable.


4. Understanding Followers and Their Needs: Effective leaders pay attention to group members and genuinely care about helping them succeed.


5. People Skills: Excellent interpersonal skills are essential for leading effectively.


6. Need for Achievement: Strong leaders have a need to succeed and help the group achieve their goals.


7. Capacity to Motivate People: A great leader knows how to inspire others and motivate them to do their best.


8. Courage and Resolution: The best leaders are brave and committed to the goals of the group.


9. Perseverance: Strong leaders stick with it, even when things get difficult or the group faces significant obstacles.


10. Trustworthiness: Group members need to be able to depend upon and trust the person leading them.


11. Decisiveness: A great leader is capable of making a decision and is confident in his or her choices.


12. Self-Confidence: Many of the best leaders are extremely self-assured. Because they are confident in themselves, followers often begin to share this self-belief.


13. Assertiveness: A great leader is able to be direct and assertive without coming off as overly pushy or aggressive.


14. Adaptability and Flexibility: Effective leaders don't get stuck in a rut. They are able to think outside of the box and adapt quickly to changing situations.
15. Emotional Stability: In addition to being dependable overall, strong leaders are able to control their emotions and avoid overreactions.
16. Creativity: Perhaps most importantly, great leaders not only possess their own creativity they are also able to foster creativity among members of the group.

Traits of a Good Leader

Compiled by the Santa Clara University and the Tom Peters Group:

• Honest — Display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all your actions. Deceptive behavior will not inspire trust.
  
• Competent — Base your actions on reason and moral principles. Do not make decisions based on childlike emotional desires or feelings.
  
• Forward-looking — Set goals and have a vision of the future. The vision must be owned throughout the organization. Effective leaders envision what they want and how to get it. They habitually pick priorities stemming from their basic values.
  
• Inspiring — Display confidence in all that you do. By showing endurance in mental, physical, and spiritual stamina, you will inspire others to reach for new heights. Take charge when necessary.
  
• Intelligent — Read, study, and seek challenging assignments.
  
• Fair-minded — Show fair treatment to all people. Prejudice is the enemy of justice. Display empathy by being sensitive to the feelings, values, interests, and well-being of others.
  
• Broad-minded — Seek out diversity.
  
• Courageous — Have the perseverance to accomplish a goal, regardless of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Display a confident calmness when under stress.
  
• Straightforward — Use sound judgment to make a good decisions at the right time.
  
• Imaginative — Make timely and appropriate changes in your thinking, plans, and methods. Show creativity by thinking of new and better goals, ideas, and solutions to problems. Be innovative!
  

EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP 2.

The McDonald’s story

                Dick and Maurice the two young brothers that later metamorphosed into the big time name- McDonalds! They have made a name in Hamburger globally.

                The two youngsters left school with their entrepreneual spirit and first ventures into the entertainment industry where they owned a studio. Things were not working as expected,

Leadership Qualities Everyone Can Use

---

Here are a few of the qualities and traits of great leaders that you can learn and practice:

• Self-assessment: Effective leaders periodically take stock of their personal strengths and shortcomings. They ask: “What do I like to do? What am I really good at?” “What are my areas of weakness, and what do I dislike doing?”
  
  Knowing your areas of weakness does not make you weak; on the contrary, it allows you to delegate to others who have those abilities, in order to achieve the common goal. Rather than clinging to the false belief that they can do it all, great leaders hire people who complement, rather than supplement, their skills. Working on your areas of weaknesses will improve your leadership ability – and recognizing them makes you more human.
• Sharp perception: Do you know how people really perceive you? Effective leaders do. They have an easy level of honest communication with their teams and their peers, and a thorough understanding of how they are perceived. Testing others’ perception of you can be as simple as observing their behavior. Are your co-workers and team members relaxed around you? Does all conversation stop when you enter the room?
  
  If you really want to know what people think, just ask them. You may receive feedback that you’re not listening or showing appreciation as well as you could be. If you’ve established an environment of honest and open communication, you should be able to ask about your good qualities and the areas you need to improve on. Your staff will appreciate your effort.
• Responsive to the group’s needs: Being perceptive can also help a leader be more effective in knowing the needs of the team. Some teams value trust over creativity; others prefer a clear communicator to a great organizer. Building a strong team is easier when you know the values and goals of each individual, as well as what they need from you as their leader.
• Knowing the organization: Effective leaders know the organization’s overall purpose and goals, and the agreed-upon strategies to achieve these goals; they also know how their team fits into the big picture, and the part they play in helping the organization grow and thrive. Full knowledge of your organization – inside and out – is vital to becoming an effective leader.